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Vulnerability Exception Tracker

Track risk acceptances for unfixable vulnerabilities with approvals, compensating controls and auto-expiry

Source Download skill
Repository
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills
Stars
35,430
Licence
Apache-2.0
Files
7 files

What it does

This skill teaches an AI agent how to help build a system that records when a security vulnerability cannot be fixed on time, and documents why. It covers request forms, approval steps by severity, a required write-up of compensating controls (extra safeguards such as firewall rules or monitoring), and a daily check that expires accepted risks when their time limit ends. The included scripts create a local SQLite database and can print expiration checks and monthly reports.

Great for

  • Security or GRC teams setting up a formal risk acceptance process for PCI DSS, SOC 2 or NIST CSF audits
  • Developers building an internal exception-tracking tool who want a starting schema and workflow
  • Students learning how vulnerability governance and risk acceptance work in practice

Skip it if

  • Production use without review: the code is a sketch (for example the Flask approve/reject routes do not yet update a database, and the maximum-duration check is incomplete), and its duration limits differ between the SKILL.md text and scripts/agent.py, so it needs careful validation and a compliance review.
  • Organisations that need a live, certified compliance tool: the skill is documentation and example code, not an audited product, and it does not replace legal or auditor sign-off.
  • Anyone expecting it to scan systems or fix vulnerabilities: it only manages the paperwork around exceptions.

Try asking

  • “Help me design a database schema for tracking vulnerability exceptions with expiry dates”
  • “Write a daily script that flags expired risk acceptances in our SQLite exception database”
  • “Draft an approval workflow where high-severity exceptions need security lead and CISO sign-off”
  • “Create a template for documenting compensating controls for a PCI DSS audit”
Step-by-step guide: how to use Vulnerability Exception TrackerInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 7 original files, the Apache-2.0 licence and an attribution note.

    building-vulnerability-exception-tracking-system.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip building-vulnerability-exception-tracking-system.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip building-vulnerability-exception-tracking-system.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Review and test the scripts in a sandbox before pointing them at real vulnerability data, since the code is illustrative and contains placeholder logic.
  • Reconcile the maximum exception durations and approval chains with your own policy before use, because SKILL.md and scripts/agent.py define different values.
  • Keep the database and any API keys out of shared repositories; the scripts read a database path from an environment variable and call external APIs via the requests library.

What's inside

  • assets/template.md
  • references/api-reference.md
  • references/standards.md
  • references/workflows.md
  • scripts/agent.py
  • scripts/process.py
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills under the Apache-2.0 licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.